Friends, Lovers, or Nothing
by recchinon
Summary: She wonders what are they. Do friends kiss each other like they do? Because there is nothing in between friends and lovers, right? She doesn't want to be nothing.


Friends, Lovers, or Nothing

((title comes from John Mayer's Friends, Lovers, or Nothing, in case you wanna listen the song while reading this, it is highly recommended))

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"I am so sorry Tatsuki-chan, I already have a promise tonight. In fact, I have to go soon."

The beautiful auburn haired woman has his long autumn colored hair in a messy bun, the cordless phone is between her head and shoulder as she waters the plan in the pot she keeps in her veranda. She puts down the glass she used to water the plan and started to play with her toes as she listens to her bestfriends to ask her the obvious question. She giggles because despite she knows that Tatsuki has known with whom she would have dinner this evening, there is some kind of worry in her tone. They both knows too well that the one she would meet in half an hour is the last person who would hurt her in this world. Well, maybe not physically because there are times when he makes her cry too. He doesn't know about it though because it is not really his fault.

"Yes, it is Kurosaki-kun..." Orihime smiles, she looks at the plan on the pot, actually it was a christmas present from him. A pot of poinsettia, not so romantic but coming from him, it means alot to her, "no, we will meet in front of the cinema, watch some movies, then have some dinner... No.. This is not a date!" Orihime shakes her head though Tatsuki cannot see her like this. Her beautiful face turns red as she tries to explain to the dragon, "Kurosaki-kun gets some tickets from his friends and he asks me to go watch the movie together, nothing special, just a friendly outing."

Of course, Tatsuki uses that chance to tease her friend. After all, she knows how much Orihime likes the bright haired guy. It has been three years since they graduated from high school and both Ichigo and Orihime haven't had any girlfriend or boyfriend since then. Tatsuki, and the other keep saying that it is just about time for both of them to get together, but this "about time" has been three years and Tatsuki has started to lose her patience. She keeps telling Orihime to either confess or to move on. It is not a secret that their old friend, Uryu Ishida, has not so little crush on her. Orihime told Tatsuki once that she appreciates Uryu's feeling but she doesn't want to use him as a reason to run away from her real feeling. As for the other option, about confessing her feeling...

"Oh Goodness! Look at the time!" Orihime stands up, phone in one hand, and walks into her small apartment, "I need to get ready now or I will be late! I will call you again tonight OK? I am so sorry I cannot see you tonight... Bye, Tatsuki-chan!"

Orihime gets ready quickly. She wears her favorite lime green dress and white cardigan. She undoes her bun and looks at herself in the mirror as she applies some make up. She put on some lipgloss as a final touch and starts brushing her long auburn lock. She practices a smile in front the mirror but it looks awkward. She just wanted to smiled naturally in front of him. After what had happened two weeks ago...

She wonders how she looks like in his eyes. Orihime has never thought herself as someone exceptionally beautiful. She knows some people keeps praising her look but she always thinks that there are many girls looks better than her. She likes her hair, but sometime she wonders how she would look like with short black hair. Maybe she could start wearing violet contact lens but there is nothing she can do about her body. She sighs and litterally smack her own head for thinking something so stupid. She should be grateful to be born like this. There is no need to change her appearance. After all what matter is the heart, right?

Orihime has been in love with Ichigo for years now. Together they have done so many things. They have fought side by side together for oh so many years. Though there has been not much she could do for him, since she is not quite a fighter like him, Orihime would do anything for him. She wants to support him anyway she could. It has been years and she is grateful because he lets her to stay by his side. As his... What?

What are they actually?

This question has been too familiar for her ever since they graduated from high school. After the graduation, Ichigo and Orihime went into different universities but they still keep in touch with each other. Somehow, since his partime job was only five minutes away from her campus, they met so often, even after he quit and worked somewhere else, they still meet frequently for dinner or lunch. Their other friends had been asking them if there were something else going on between them but both of them would deny it because that's the truth. They are not dating. Not really. Though they did kiss, occasionally. Not that Orihime would ever tell Tatsuki about this, yet. Not yet. She doesn't really understand why he kisses her. Not that she dislikes his kisses, she, in fact, does kiss him too. It happens so casually, naturally.

She read once that people in western country kiss as a greeting, there is no deeper meaning to it. A kiss is just a kiss. But both Ichigo and her are Japanese and Japanese doesn't kiss people as a greeting. So what does it means? Of course this is not something Orihime could consult with Tatsuki. Knowing Tatsuki, there is fat chance she would slaughter Ichigo if she knew about this.

Two weeks ago, they kissed again. This time he kissed her in front of her door. It was a gentle and soft kiss, like usual. Ichigo is a really good kisser though she has no one to compare him with, but everytime he kissed her she would feel lightheaded and dizzy. Thanks God his two strong arms were there to support her. Before she could think clearly, those words has jumped out of her mouth.

"Why do you kiss me?"

It was too late to take the question back so Orihime brave herself to look into his eyes and wait for his answer. Ichigo looked at her.

"Why? Because I want to. Do you not want it?"

Orihime opened her mouth but nothing came out. That was not what she had expected from him. She tried to ask more question but what came out from her mouth was not what she wanted to say.

"Yes, I want it."

Then he pulled her once again into a kiss.

Everything has been awkward for her since that night. He hasn't called her and she doesn't have the courage to text him first. His answer to her question is haunting her. Was it a good thing? Was it bad? If he kissed her because he wanted to, does it mean he would do it to other girl to if he felt like it?

What are they actually?

Are they friends?

But do friends kiss each other like that? She was sure they are not lovers. They couldn't be. He has never once told her that he loves her. So, if they were not friends, nor lover, then what are they?

Orihime remembers that one day when she went to his campus. She was in the area around his campus and decided to take a look. Maybe she could see how is Ichigo in his campus. Ichigo's bright orange head was too easy to spot, it didn't take ten minutes for her to find him. Orihime was about to say hi when she realized that he was not alone.

After they graduated and enrolled into different universities, it was just natural that they met new people and made some friends. Orihime herself has found some new friends in her Campus, so it is just natural if Ichigo found some new friends himself but the sight of the tall guy with his new friends, people she doesn't know face and name, still somehow surprising her.

She stood there, not too far from him and his friends but he didn't realized that she was there. Orihime saw one of the female students, the one with burgundy hair, teased Ichigo with something she couldn't hear then some petite girl with short black her which reminded her of some familiar shinigami, pulled his arm.

"Hey! You shouldn't say something like that to someone else's boyfriend!"

The other students laughed as Ichigo's face turned red, "Wh-what!? But I... Not..."

The dark haired girl looked at him and smiled cheekily, still hugging his arm tightly, "not, yet, but soon, you would confess, right?"

One of the boys whistled, "is that true, Ichigo?"

Orihime has never seen his face that red before. She felt somehow sad because she had never seen this side of Ichigo before. Being in different universities suck so much. If only she enrolled in the same university like him. Orihime's chain of thought were cut when she heard him answered the question.

"Well, maybe... J-just wait OK!" Ichigo groaned, he tried to cover his red face, "Gezz, I shouldn't have said this in front of you guys! This is personal, OK?!"

That was two weeks ago, two days before he kissed her in front of her apartment door. Two days before he admitted that he kissed her because he wanted to. _Not because he likes me..._

Orihime wonders if Ichigo has finally confessed his love to that girl. After all, she looks like Rukia, does he choose her because of that? If he has confessed and she accepted him, then it means he is not single anymore and kissing someone else's boyfriend is horrible. Does it mean Orihime has to stop seeing him?

After two weeks of no contact, Orihime was surprised when Ichigo called her earlier today. She had an ugly feeling that there is something important that he wanted to tell her. There are so many ugly scenarios in her head and it makes her feel dizzy.

Does he want to end all of this? 'This', whatever its name is.

Orihime felt as if someone is clenching on her heart too tight. It hurts. If Ichigo really wants to end this, what should she do? Not a lover, not a friend, then what is she for him?

She tries to think about it again and again but she realizes that there is nothing in between friends and lover. So, once it all ends between them, she would be nothing? She doesn't like it. He is her everything so she doesn't want to be nothing.

"Inoue!"

Before Orihime realizes it, she had been there, on the spot where they promised to meet. Ichigo has been there. Wearing black v-neck, leather jacket and jeans, handsome as usual. For a reason, he looks nervous, as if he has been hiding something from her. Her heart hurts even more. So it really the ends.

"Sorry I am late," she avoids his eyes and forced a smile.

Ichigo checks his watch and shook his head, "you're not late. I came here earlier." He offered his hand casually for her to take, "let's go, don't let go of my hand, it is crowded and we don't want you to get lost."

Orihime looks at his big hand. Is it really okay for her to take that hand? Is it really okay to hold hand with someone who is not quite your friend nor lover?

"Inoue?"

Both of them are surprised when the tears start to flow from her eyes. Ichigo panics as he tries to make her to look at him and tell him what's wrong. He has known her for years and she had never cry in front of him ever since that final fight between him and the evil Quincy. There must have been something wrong and he gets pissed off because he doesn't know what was wrong and what to do.

People are staring and Orihime tries so hard to stop the tears but fail. She doesn't want to cry. Not here, not now, not in front of him, but she couldn't do anything to stop the tears. She apologizes quietly as she tries to wipe the tears that keep on coming.

Ichigo couldn't stand people around them staring and whispering so he takes her hand and pulled her to where he parks his car and once they are in the car he doesn't say anything and just drive to a familiar park near their old school. He opens the car's door and takes her hand and takes her to a nearby bench where they sit quietly. He doesn't say anything though there are so many questions in his head right now. He gives her chance to wipe her tears and calm herself down and deep inside she is thankful for him being so thoughful. Her voice is hoarse when she opens her mouth to apologize.

"What happens? "

She shakes her head and bites her lower lip, embarrassed by the fact she has to look and act like this in front of him.

The sun is going down, the sky's color is matching her hair now. The park is empty except for them and the air has gotten colder. Ichigo takes off his leather jacket and put it around her body. His perpetual scowl is deepened as he becomes more and more worried about the girl.

"Thank you..." Orihime blushes, her cheeks are still wet from the tears. She still refuses to look at him.

Ichigo sighs, "You don't want to tell me what's wrong with you?"

Orihime keeps silent for a moment. She knows he deserves to know what wrong, after all, she has made him worried. She needs to tell him but how?

"Listen," Ichigo says again, "I don't know what's wrong but I think it must be something I did, isn't it?" Orihime doesn't know what to say, "I... Did I do something wrong? You acted weird, asked me a weird question and then didn't contact me at all for two weeks. I..." This time ichigo sounds frustrated, "I am stupid, okay, so maybe I make you sad, but I wouldn't understand if you dont say anything... You know, I..." he shakes his head, "Inoue, I am sorry if I hurt you, I don't know what I have done but it if is really my fault, believe me I didn't mean to hurt you, Okay?" when Orihime still hasn't said anything, Ichigo starts to sound scared, "Don't tell me, you want to end this? You want to break up with me?"

Orihime gasps, she turns to look at him, "Wh-what? No, I..."

What to break up if there is nothing between them?

"Because you asked me a weird question," Ichigo clenched his hands, "I... You never said anything before. You let me to kiss you, I thought it was okay, that our feeling was mutual, but then you asked me that... For two weeks you didn't contact me, I was so scared. I thought I was being conceited, I even already bragged about you to my friends..." he admitted, this time his face turns as red as hers, "I am stupid so for three years I tried to make it official, but I couldn't find the right time. I thought, maybe you are tired of waiting. I..."

Ichigo couldn't finish whatever he wanted to say because she has thrown herself to him and encircled her hands arounds his neck. She hugs him tightly, surprising the orange haired man.

"I love you."

Ichigo once again loses his words. His hands stops mid air before he could hug her back. She tightens the hug. He could feel her tears on his neck.

"I love you so much, that I was scared. I don't know what I am to you... I don't know what are we and it scared me. What are we? Friends? Lover? Or nothing?"

He hugs her tighter, "stupid, how could you be nothing when I love you so much that I would go to hell for you, if anything, you are my everything."

Orihime laughs softly. Her sound of laughter is muffled by his neck. She smiles and mutters an inaudible thank you, she knows he can hear it.

"Actually this evening, after we watch the movie and have dinner I was about to ask you to be my girlfriend officially. I was so scared after two weeks no communication at all, I thought you need some space after all you acted strangely two weeks ago..." Ichigo admits as he pulls back a little so he could look into her eyes, "I never thought I would say it here, like this. I have plan to say it after a romantic dinner with you. After all, I have been waiting for years, I want to make it perfect."

Orihime giggles, she looks into his warm honey eyes, "this_is _perfect."

Ichigo smiles and kisses her gently, "but I think it is not too late for dinner, aren't you hungry?"

"Starving," Orihime kisses him back.

"Good," Ichigo stands up and offers his hand to his new girlfriend, "Let's go!"

As he drives to the restaurant where they would have dinner, Ichigo remembers about something. He frowns at the thought and seems reluctant at first but Orihime realizes it and asks him if something were wrong. Ichigo sighs and shakes his head.

"Nothing, I just remember about something."

Orihime looks at him curiously, "what is it?"

"I promises my friends that I would introduce you to them once I get you..." his face turns red and he quickly adds, "As a girlfriend, I mean. One of them worked at the same place with me and she knew I often have lunch with you... So... Ah, let's say, they are being nosy. It's okay if you don't want to meet them. I mean, they are no different than our high school friends, one of them even reminds me of Rukia. She acts like her too, that bitch..."

Orihime chuckles, "they seem fun."

Ichigo snorts, "they are troublesome."

"That reminds me too, Tatsuki said to me long time ago that if one day we finally go out, she needs to talk about something with you... I wonder what it is,"

Ichigo gulps, "Well I have a faint idea about what she wants to talk, or rather do, to me."

Orihime smiles, "So, are we friends or lovers?"

"Why can't we be both?"

Orihime laughs.

"Both then."

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End

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Author's note:

Hi! So while you wait for my other series to be updated, here is one shot for you ;) all mistypo will be repaired later, I am typing this on my phone. As for grammar. Check on my profile, see the flag and you will know why... *nah just an excuse*


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